


frostbite

by bigplantman



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:02:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27785680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigplantman/pseuds/bigplantman
Summary: A random one-shot about Thule
Kudos: 2





	frostbite

**Author's Note:**

> baby's first fic. totally not b/c i am bored in quarantine

As children, heat is one of the most dangerous things to avoid. We are taught to not touch hot stoves, not play near the radiator, to be careful of candles and not light matches. Anger is associated with heat and passion with flames. We know that one day our bodies will be buried deep within the hard packed ground and that our actions on Earth may cause us to burn in eternal flame. Heat is predictable. Flames devour, singe, destroy.   
But the cold is something else entirely. We bundle ourselves up against it, trudging through it often unaware and unprepared for the danger it presents. Unlike the heat which causes instant pain the cold is much more slow, a chill and numbness setting into the skin before the true burning pain begins. The cold is calm, quiet, and encases everything living in ice and frost until it can no longer survive and the harsh winter sets in. 

Valentine had been like a grass fire, predictable and all consuming, path clear but chaotic as he cut through all those that stood in his way; his true son instead like the harshest of winter storms. Uncaring, unstoppable, and difficult to predict. 

Nobody could have prepared for the havoc that Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern wreaked on everything around him. He was cruel and uncaring, collateral something assumed rather than an unfortunate side effect to his rampage. Sebastian as he was now known took things people loved from them slowly and painfully, the same way that frostbite setting into the skin forced many to part with essential limbs and phalanges. Family members were forced to kill their own to protect themselves from the Morning Star's forces or die by their hands, fully aware that those they loved so much were only a shell of their former selves and yet unable to do what had to be done for self preservation. He watched as cities fell to his hands, seas of red consuming the black and leaving nothing behind to be salvaged but mangled corpses and broken dreams for the future. His forces grew in size with each passing hour, the sheer magnitude of the destruction inflicted on the nephlim population forcing the 'all powerful' clave to their knees after the untimely death of his sister. 

The plan had never been to kill Clarissa. He had wanted the girl to rule by his side, to be his wretched queen as he fed the tongues of nay sayers to the dogs and slit the throats of those who wouldn't yield to him, seasoning his blades in their blood and bringing her back their heads. Obviously the plan had gone awry somewhere, perhaps he hadn't been as charming or as persuasive as he could have been. She tried to run her blade into his chest and instead she was ripped in half by Lillith, the sight causing a rather sick feeling within him though Sebastian attributed it to the man he was bound to- Jace's feelings were quite powerful things. Before him Sebastian hadn't known how fiercely one could love or despair all because of one person. 

Years had passed since that day and still Sebastian found himself feeling rather ill whenever anyone brought up Clary's name in front of the two of them. Each birthday that passed marked another year of Jace sulking despite the lovely redheads that Sebastian so lovingly acquired for him to drown his sorrows in. That year, he had decided against whores of any kind, instead sitting across from the blonde at the comically large dinner table and bringing a goblet of red wine to his lips. They often ate in silence, there was no need to have a conversation during mealtimes when they were inseparable throughout the day, but that night Sebastian couldn't help but break the uncomfortable silence that blanketed the empty banquet hall. " Jace, your sorrow is ruining my wine." It was true, the uneasy feeling that was pooling in his gut from the soul bond made enjoying a nice glass of wine near impossible. If only he could reach inside Jace and flip a switch that would make him stop feeling so much, then the other man would be much better company.   
"I'm sorry." The words seemed hollow, but perhaps that was because they were.   
flat black eyes narrowed as he examined Jace across the table before standing abruptly, setting down his glass with an audible thud. " Come with me." It was not a question, and as Sebastian walked towards one of the grand balconies that overlooked what remained of the city he heard the blonde not far behind. He pushed open the glass double doors and stepped outside into the cool night (or perhaps it was day, it was impossible to tell anymore) and rested his hands on the sturdy metal railing. " Have I not given you everything you could want, brother?" The words were spoken with no empathy, no trace of compassion. " This world, we rule it together. Anything you want that exists in this world you can have at the snap of your fingers and still you irritate me with a longing for the one thing that I can't give you."   
Jace was silent, stoic. He often was when it came to these kinds of conversations with Sebastian. It was safer to be neutral when Sebastian could snap at the smallest perceived slight. It was no secret to Jace that the white haired former nephlim was growing weak as the years went on. Sure he stood overlooking the wreckage of a city rebuilt in cobblestone, demons running rampant and a constant fog lingering that made visibility rather nil that he had caused, but something else was causing the tyrant to lose his steam. Something they could not control. 

"You are the one thing that is not expendable to me, but if you can't control your emotions you will find that I change my mind very quickly on who I need standing by my side." The threats of killing Jace had become more frequent, though a constant through the years and not exactly something to warrant panic. Sebastian turned back to the other man, flat shark like eyes analyzing his physical response to the words. " Control your emotions, angel boy. I don't want to take you out back like Old Yeller." despite the tone of the conversation being rather grim, Sebastian then slid a hand within the body of his suit jacket to pull out a small package wrapped in fine cloth, turning it and holding the rectangular gift out to the other. " Take it." 

Jace's calloused hands reached out and took the item from his brother, the man whose soul was so entangled with his own there were times he wasn't sure what feelings were his own and which belonged to the boy who once bore his same name. fingers fumbled with the twine holding everything together for a moment before the knot gave and the fabric was pulled off of a surprisingly ornate dagger, one made of a black steel with a hilt encrusted in various red jewels. " Sebastian-" It was a beautiful blade, something so extravagant yet deadly that it could only come from one man's mind. "Sebastian, if this is your way of professing your undying love for me-" 

"Shut up." Sebastian rolled his eyes dramatically before moving back into the banquet hall, shucking off his jacket and throwing it onto the back of his dining chair. " We're going hunting, brother. Get yourself ready and meet me back here in ten minutes." he was almost out into the hallway before he glanced over his shoulder, throwing a half hearted " Happy birthday, Jace" over his shoulder as he left to dress.


End file.
